Republicans who opposed Donald Trump found themselves in an odd position on Wednesday, as reality sunk in that the Republican nominee they warned would lead the party to ruin instead led them into the White House with a Republican Congress.

With the sudden prospect of a historic governing majority in front of them, a number of Trump critics took a new look at the candidate they had criticized as unqualified or offensive, NBC News reported.

"This needs to be a time of redemption, not a time of recrimination," House Speaker Paul Ryan said at a news conference.

Old foes wished him well: Jeb Bush, who called Trump the "chaos candidate" in the primaries and refused to vote for him, offered congratulations and prayers. The National Review's editors, who devoted an issue to opposing his candidacy under any circumstances, congratulated him too and urged Congress to "do what they can to reinforce Trump's better instincts."